The story Three starlings of the genus Aplonis have vanished. The species from Kosrae Island, one of the Caroline group in the Pacific, is known from just a series of specimens collected by F. H. von Kittlitz in December 1827. Five skins exist today, three in St Petersburg and two in Leiden; there may be […]
Category: Sturnidae
Mysterious Starling (Aplonis mavornata)
The story This species is known from just a single skin in the collection of the Natural History Museum, London. For many years this skin was a complete mystery and its origin was entirely unknown, but thanks to some comprehensive detective work conducted by Storrs Olson of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, its origin is […]
Norfolk Starling (Aplonis fusca)
The story The third extinct member of the genus Aplonis inhabited the islands of Norfolk and Lord Howe. Both these Tasman Sea islands have lost several of their endemic birds and the starling vanished during the first half of the twentieth century. The species has been divided into two races, the nominate from Norfolk Island […]
Rodrigues Starling (Necropsar rodericanus)
The story The skeletal remains of a starling were found on the island of Rodrigues during the 1870’s. Although there may be no connection, these bones have been associated with a brief account in the document known as the Relation de l’Ile Rodrigue, which was probably written by a marooned sailor named Tafforet during 1725. […]
Abbotts Starling (Poeoptera femoralis)
[order] PASSERIFORMES | [family] Sturnidae | [latin] Poeoptera femoralis | [UK] Abbotts Starling | [FR] etournea d’Abbott | [DE] Abbottstar | [ES] | [NL] Abbotts Spreeuw Subspecies Genus Species subspecies Breeding Range Breeding Range 2 Non Breeding Range Grafisia femoralis Poeoptera femoralis AF Kenya, Tanzania Physical charateristics Small starling of forest. Black head and breast. […]
Rose-coloured Starling (Pastor roseus)
[order] PASSERIFORMES | [family] Sturnidae | [latin] Pastor roseus | [UK] Rose-coloured Starling | [FR] Martin roselin | [DE] Rosenstar | [ES] Estornino rosado | [NL] Roze Spreeuw Subspecies Genus Species subspecies Breeding Range Breeding Range 2 Non Breeding Range Physical charateristics Medium-sized, rather short-billed crested starling with pale orange-pink legs. Adult in worn plumage […]
Spotless Starling (Sturnus unicolor)
[order] PASSERIFORMES | [family] Sturnidae | [latin] Sturnus unicolor | [UK] Spotless Starling | [FR] etourneau unicolor | [DE] Einfarb-Star | [ES] Estornino negro | [NL] Zwarte Spreeuw Subspecies Genus Species subspecies Breeding Range Breeding Range 2 Non Breeding Range Creatophora unicolor Sturnus unicolor EU sw Europe, also n Africa Physical charateristics Medium-sized starling of […]
Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
[order] PASSERIFORMES | [family] Sturnidae | [latin] Sturnus vulgaris | [UK] Starling | [FR] etourneau sansonnet | [DE] Star | [ES] Estornino Pinto | [NL] Spreeuw Subspecies Genus Species subspecies Breeding Range Breeding Range 2 Non Breeding Range Physical charateristics The Starling is a medium-sized, black songbird with short, triangular wings, spotted plumage, and a […]